by Emma Evans
Surprised to hear that Lord Guthrie would be at a ball when she knew him to shun society as a whole, Sophia sat up a little straighter. “Oh?”
“I know he does not care for society and, unfortunately, you may find that society does not care for him, either,” Clara continued carefully. “It is not my place to say why that is, nor should you pry into such reasons, Sophia, but be aware that not everyone will look upon him with gladness.”
“It is not that he is a scoundrel of some kind, is it?” Sophia asked, frowning deeply as she considered the man she very much respected. It came as a great surprise to her to find out that society would not look favorably on him, and for the life of her, she could not think why.
“No, it is nothing like that. Indeed, it is nothing to do with him at all yet society still treats him as though he is the one at fault,” Clara said, somewhat mysteriously. “Regardless, I wanted you to be aware of such a thing so that you would not be surprised and ask questions that you ought not to ask. In time, I am quite sure Lord Guthrie will speak to you about it himself, but I would advise you not to pry, Sophia. It is not the done thing, you understand.”
“Of course,” Sophia agreed, her mind tumbling over this new information as she tried her best not to wonder what Lord Guthrie had done—or had not done, as Clara suggested.
“It has taken a great deal for him to attend this evening, and to take you on,” Clara finished, getting to her feet. “It is important that you ensure he knows that you are grateful to him for this kindness, Sophia. Speak to him this evening, will you?”
Sophia nodded and followed Clara to the door, her heart filled with questions and conflicting emotions over the news that Lord Guthrie would be her new chaperone. She had thought she knew the gentleman fairly well, but from what Clara had just told her, it appeared that she did not know him very much at all. In her mind’s eye, he somehow took on a mysterious, even ominous appearance, her skin prickling with a sudden nervousness as she descended the staircase towards the waiting carriage. What was it she did not know? And why would society not look all too favorably on him if he had done nothing wrong?
“Do hurry up, Sophia,” she heard Thackery call, as he stood by the front door. “This is to be Clara’s last ball for the Season and I would like to get there as soon as I can.”
“I spoke to her about the new arrangements,” Clara murmured, as they seated themselves in the carriage.
Thackery looked at Sophia, waiting to see what she would say about it all.
“I am more than content, Thackery,” Sophia assured him with a smile. “Lord Guthrie is very good to take me on.”
“Yes, he is,” Thackery agreed firmly. “You shall have your companions here at home and Lord Guthrie will accompany you to whichever events you wish to go—provided he finds the invitations agreeable, of course. However, I entirely trust his judgement in that matter and have assured your father of that fact. I am quite sure you will have a very enjoyable few months with him, Sophia, and I should also thank you for being so willing to put up with such a change. It is high time I took Clara away from London after all that she has gone through, but I am aware that this was meant to be your Season.”
“And just look how it turned out,” Sophia replied with a quiet laugh. “Do not concern yourself, Thackery, please. I hope you both have an enjoyable honeymoon together, although I shall miss you.”
Clara smiled at her, taking Thackery’s hand as she did so. “I shall miss you too, Sophia. Make sure you write to me with any news you might have.”
There it was, that slight twinkle in Clara’s eye that confused Sophia dreadfully. Was it that she knew there were already some difficult feelings in her heart regarding Lord Guthrie? Surely she could not know that, for Sophia herself had not even truly acknowledged them and had certainly never given any great thought to them.
“You ought to make sure to dance with Lord Guthrie this evening, Sophia,” Thackery continued, interrupting Sophia’s train of thought. “Just the once, if you want, although twice would also be quite acceptable. It is important that the ton see that you are to be under his chaperonage and that he is more than welcome back into society after his time away. Society already knows that he and I are friends, although I shall make sure to be seen speaking to him this evening with you.”
Something trembled within her as she considered dancing with Lord Guthrie. Despite the time they had spent together, she had never been in his arms in such an intimate fashion before, but then again, he had never attended a ball where she had been present either.
“Should I wait for him to ask me or reserve him a space on my dance card?” Sophia asked softly, her heart racing with a strange nervousness that spiked through her.
Thackery chuckled. “Oh, I think he will find us.” He grinned at Sophia who, not understanding what he meant, suddenly felt the carriage slow down. The door opened a few minutes later and, much to her surprise, none other than Lord Guthrie came inside, sitting down next to Sophia.
“Guthrie, good to see you,” Thackery declared as the door was closed behind him. “How are you this evening?”
“Quite nervous, to be truthful,” Lord Guthrie murmured, his leg now pressed against Sophia’s, who found a rush of heat flooding her face. “First ball in as many years, Thackery.” He turned to Clara, greeting her and then Sophia, finishing with, “You are both looking beautiful this evening.”
“Thank you,” Sophie heard herself say, the words sticking in her throat as the carriage continued to travel towards their destination. “Thank you for everything you are doing for me, Lord Guthrie. I cannot tell you how pleased I am to be able to remain in London for the rest of the Season.”
He turned towards her, his face cast in shadow and lit only by the flickering lantern light outside. “You are more than welcome, Miss Newton. I look forward to finding you a suitable husband and, therefore, proving myself more useful than Lord Thackery!”
As the carriage burst into laughter, Sophia could not quite rid herself of the uncomfortable feeling that she was not altogether happy with the idea of Lord Guthrie finding a husband for her. She could not explain why and certainly did not want to linger on her confusing feelings any longer than she had to, but as they continued to ride towards the ball, Sophia found her heart suddenly filled with a warm affection for the man who was to be influential in her future, even though he would not be a part of it.
It was all so very confusing.
Chapter Three
Hector tried his best not to allow the anxiety he felt rushing through his veins to take any kind of hold, but the swirling of his stomach told him he was not being entirely successful.
Sitting next to Sophia had been an unexpected pleasure and yet it had made things all the more difficult for him. The carriage was not small, but somehow he had managed to press his leg lightly against hers and then had not moved for fear that it would disconcert her.
“Lord Guthrie?”
Turning towards his host, Hector felt his face flame with heat as he apologized for not only being lost in thought but for not greeting Lady Darlington and Lord Darlington as he ought.
“Thank you very much for your invitation to your ball, my lady,” he murmured, bending over her hand. “I was very glad to accept it.”
“And I was delighted that you did so,” the lady replied with a warm smile. “Indeed, I find myself greatly favored with your presence. I hear that we are the first invitation you have accepted in a long time.” There was a hint of curiosity to her words, but Hector found himself unwilling to explain himself further. With another quick smile, he thanked her again and turned to greet Lord Darlington, who shook his hand firmly, evidently as pleased as his wife was to see him.
Walking towards the ballroom, Hector couldn’t help but allow his gaze to linger on Sophia, who was walking just ahead of him. She was beautiful this evening and he was quite sure that she would garner a great deal of attention from the gentlemen of the ton. He ignored the spurt of jealousy
that ran through him at that thought, reminding himself that he was an old, tired soul compared to her free spirit. Whilst he had married young, and divorced young as well, it still made him at least five years her elder. To many of the beau monde that would be entirely acceptable, but not to Hector. He had been through so much already, his heart built up and then torn down in quick succession, to the point that he had now built a wall around it and had no intention of letting anyone break it down. Not even Miss Newton, with her dazzling smile and pretty eyes.
No, he would do his duty and help her find a suitable husband and, if they did not succeed, then he would return her to Scotland before heading back to his estate, never to see her again. She was certain to find herself someone, if not this Season then certainly the next. A beauty like Sophia Newton was never without a suitor for long.
“Are you going to ask me to dance?”
Pulled from his reverie, Hector saw Sophia looking at him with a slight smile on her face, her eyes twinkling as he searched for an answer.
“Thackery said we should and I am growing tired of waiting for you to ask,” Sophia continued when he didn’t say anything. “I have a great many other gentlemen to greet and I am sure my dance card will fill up quickly if you do not take this opportunity.”
Hector was not sure whether or not Sophia intended to be somewhat coy with him but the sparkle in her eyes and the curving of her lips had his whole being reacting to her.
Clearing his throat, he gave a slight shrug. “I do not wish to keep any gentlemen from you, Miss Newton,” he said. “You need not wait to dance with me. The truth is, I am here as a spectator only, as I shall be at most of society’s occasions. It is you who is to be the center of attention, the one to be courted and the like, is it not? I have no intention of dancing or courting anyone for the entire Season, so you need not consider me, Miss Newton.”
Something flared in her eyes, but Hector could not tell whether it was disappointment or relief. The truth was, whilst Hector very much wanted to dance with Sophia, he knew that to do so might cause some of her suitors to step away. It was best for him to remain her chaperone, which meant that he could continue to keep himself at a distance from her whilst ensuring that she did not fall into any kind of difficulty.
“Oh, I see,” she murmured, her gaze drifting to the floor and, as Hector continued to watch her, her cheeks burning with a sudden, deep, red. “I just thought that… I mean, Thackery said…”
“Miss Newton!”
Her head shot up and she turned at once as another gentleman came to stand by her side, ignoring Hector altogether.
“Lord Townsend!” she exclaimed, a broad smile settling on her face as she gave him her attention. “How good it is to see you! It has been some weeks, has it not?”
“Yes, it has,” the gentleman replied, looking rather pleased that Sophia had evidently missed him. “I had business back at home, but all is settled now, as you can see, and I am able to return to London.”
Hector tried to quell the rippling jealousy that flooded him as Lord Townsend plucked Sophia’s dance card from her wrist and began to enquire as to whether or not he might persuade her to dance with him, choosing to step away as Sophia let out a light, joy-filled laugh.
Goodness, he was a fool.
“Is that you, Lord Guthrie?”
Looking up, Hector felt his stomach turn over as he saw none other than Lord Larchmont standing in front of him, his eyebrows raised in surprise. Lord Larchmont and he had once been great friends but then, right around the time Hector had been discovering what his wife had been up to, the man had disappeared from London and from society entirely. It had almost been too much of a coincidence for Hector to ignore but, given just how stricken he had been over his wife’s behavior at the time, he had not given the man more than a passing thought.
“Larchmont,” he murmured, with a slight lift of his eyebrows. “Back in London, I see.”
“As are you,” the man replied with a slight incline of his head. “Terribly sorry to hear all that happened to you, old boy.”
There was a friendliness to his tone that Hector had not expected, as if they had simply picked up where they’d left off.
“Indeed,” Hector murmured, ignoring the slicing pain that cut through his heart at the memory of it all. “It was some time ago now, however.”
“Years, is it not?” Lord Larchmont replied with an almost jovial smile. “It is good to see you back in London again, Guthrie. I had wondered what had become of you.”
The faint stirring of anger in Hector’s soul burst into a greater, stronger light. “You could have written if you were so troubled over where I might have gone,” he said tersely. “I have heard nothing from you for years, Larchmont, so you need not pretend that you care in any way simply because we bumped into one another at the ball.”
The words came out with a little more force than Hector had intended, and he saw Lord Larchmont almost recoil as he spoke them. They were like arrows, striking their target with force and deliberation but Hector felt no guilt over speaking them. Lord Larchmont stared at him for a few seconds before clearing his throat and turning his head away.
“You are angry about my absence and silence,” he said softly. “Well, that I quite understand. I promise you, Guthrie, that it had nothing to do with your wife, if that is what you are thinking. I had urgent business that called me away and forced me to live a life of relative secrecy for a time.”
Hector snorted, not wanting to believe the man’s excuses.
“You do not have to believe me, of course,” Lord Larchmont continued, ignoring Hector entirely, “but that is the truth of the matter although I cannot go into details.” He turned his eyes back towards Hector, a small smile on his face and not even a hint of anger or frustration written there. “You may need a friend in these next few weeks and so, since I am to be in town myself, I offer you my friendship.”
“You know as well as I do that society will not welcome me back with open arms,” Hector grated, his face burning. “And yet I find myself unwilling to accept your invitation regardless of how poorly I am treated.”
Lord Larchmont shrugged, as though what Hector had said did not pain him in the least.
“Very well,” he said, turning away from Hector. “Then I wish you well, Lord Guthrie, and, whilst it may mean very little to you, I apologize for my absence at the time when you might have needed my friendship and support. It was not intentional and my removal from London had no bearing on what was occurring with your wife.” He bowed deeply, his eyes tinged with sadness as he rose. “Good evening, Guthrie. I hope the rest of your evening goes well.”
Anger and pain shot through Hector as he watched him leave, as though the sheer sight of the man he’d once thought a friend was too much to bear. He had needed a friend at that time, when his whole world had seemed to shrink in on him, growing tighter and tighter around him until, finally, it had shattered into a million pieces—and Lord Larchmont had not been there to help him. He had run away, it seemed, although Hector had never found any evidence to link his wife to Lord Larchmont. And yet, even though that was the case, there was still a sense of betrayal and disappointment running through him, for the absence of his friend for these last few years had brought Matthew a great deal of pain.
“Lord Guthrie?”
He turned to see Sophia standing just behind him, studying him carefully. Clearing his throat, he tried to smile. “Yes?”
Her cheeks tinged with pink as she looked away.
“Do you need me for something?” he asked, a little frustrated with her lack of response. “Is there a gentleman that you require me to vet?”
“No, nothing like that,” she replied, softly. “I just wondered… Lord Guthrie are you quite all right?”
His stomach tightened at the concern in her voice, but his heart hardened itself at once. “There is nothing to worry about, Miss Newton. I am quite well, thank you.”
She said nothing but continued
to regard him for a moment, her eyes searching his. Hector felt himself grow tense, his jaw clenching as he saw how she continued to study him.
“Are you not due to dance with someone?” he asked, somewhat more brusquely than he had intended. “I should not like to keep you.”
The light faded from her eyes, her lips curving down as she dropped her gaze.
“Yes, of course. Do excuse me, Lord Guthrie.”
Guilt rifled through him and he opened his mouth to speak, to call her back and to ask her to stay—but by the time he found his voice, she was already gone.
Chapter Four
Sophia waved and smiled as the carriage containing Lord and Lady Thackery made its way down the graveled drive and then out onto the cobbled streets. She had spent the morning being introduced to her new companions and now, far too quickly for Sophia’s liking, Clara and Thackery had gone.
Letting out a long breath, Sophia fought unexpected tears, dashing them away with the back of her hand before turning back around to go back inside. Mrs. Drake was standing waiting for her, a sympathetic smile on her face. She had a shock of white hair which was tied up into a neat bun, although there was a youthfulness about her that made Sophia think that she certainly was nowhere near her dotage.
Mrs. Drake’s dark green eyes searched Sophia’s, handing her a small lace handkerchief with which she might dab at her eyes. Sophia took it gratefully, sniffing indelicately once or twice before managing to get a hold of herself again.
“I can see that you will miss them,” Mrs. Drake said softly. “Never you worry, though, Miss Newton, we will make sure to fill every day here with enjoyment and happiness.”
Sophia smiled and nodded, blinking the rest of her tears back. “Thank you, that is very kind of you to say. But please, do call me Sophia. I cannot abide over-formality, especially with those who are to be my companions.”
Mrs. Drake smiled, giving no hint of disagreement. “But of course, Sophia.”